Not long ago a sleepy suburb of Delhi, Gurgaon now boasts over a million inhabitants, slick office complexes housing companies ranging from Accenture to Xerox, and more shopping malls per square mile than anywhere else in India. Alas, the infrastructure is still struggling to catch up with the boom and there's plenty of dust and traffic jams, but it's still an exhilarating glimpse into the India of the future.

Gurgaon has the typical north Indian climate, almost the same as that of Delhi: expect cold, foggy winters, drenching monsoons and scorching hot, dusty summers. Winter runs from early November till mid-February; usually January is the coldest month. In winters, temperatures may even drop to 2 degree Celsius. In March and April the temperature is pleasant. The summer starts in May and goes till July, with temperatures exceeding 40 deg C at times. The heat is broken by the monsoon in mid-July, which pours rain until mid-September.

The northeastern part of Gurgaon is served by the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro, which runs from NH-8's IFFCO Chowk crossing along MG Road over the border towards Qutub Minar, Saket and straight to Connaught Place. Travel time is about 50 minutes, with tickets ₹25 one way.

Gurgaon also has a small rail station on the Delhi-Jaipur railway line, but it only receives about five trains a day. The Station is near The colony bhim Garh Kheri Part 2.

DTC and Haryana Roadways buses runs down National Highway 8 in Delhi. Buses to Gurgaon can be best boarded at Dhaula Kuan (on the Inner Ring Road). Alternatively, there is a small dedicated Gurgaon-bound bus terminal at Karol Bagh near the unmissable 100-foot Hanuman statue, a five-minute walk west of Jhandewala Metro station or a short cycle rickshaw ride (₹10) from Karol Bagh metro station. Buses cost ₹22 one-way. Also Haryana Roadways, Mewat and Kamal (Private buses) runs from Sarai Kale Khan to Gurgaon Bus Stand whole day. Also there is frequent service of DTC buses between Gurgaon Bus Stand to Badarpur Border via Mehrauli and Khanpur.

National Highway 8, now an eight-lane expressway, connects Delhi to Gurgaon and Jaipur. Travel time is under 30 minutes in optimal conditions, but is regularly jammed during peak hours. The road is additionally still victim to water logging in heavy monsoon rains.

Public transport within Gurgaon is, in a word, terrible. One ray of hope is Rapid Metro Gurgaon, opened November 2013, the first phase of which connects Delhi Metro's Sikanderpur station with the office district near NH-8 with a 5 km loop line. Trains run every 5 min or so, the fare is a flat ₹12 and you can use Delhi Metro's smart cards. A southward extension along Golf Course Road is in the works but will not open until 2015 at earliest.

Starting from the bus stop "IIT Gate" south of the IIT flyover of the Outer Ring Road in Delhi you can get all day and night (because of 24h service for call centres) jeeps and cars with yellow plates carrying you for ₹10 (Aug 2007) to places like the Bristol hotel or the IFFCO chowk. Sitting in these cabs at peak times means to use the normal back bench of a car with 3 to 4 other people and without AC, but at off times you travel in the comfort of a taxi without paying more than ₹10!

Other than that, the main option is cycle rickshaws, who are notoriously mercenary. The fare is supposed to be around ₹20 per head for a distance of 1.5-2 km, but it's not unheard of to be asked for 10x this amount.

There are some intercity mini-buses which go from Gurgaon Bus Stand (near Police Lines) to Mall region and ahead on the MG (Mehrauli-Gurgaon) road. Cost is ₹20 per head. Ladies don't need to worry about traveling in these buses as most often than not, the conductor ensures that the lady gets a seat.

Sohna Lake. Sohna Lake is about 10 km from Gurgaon. It is best to visit after rainfall and during winters.

28.462376.88993Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary (Sultanpur National Park). This park is about 15 km from Gurgaon. You can spot a variety of migratory birds around a natural lake. Park is open during winters from October to February.

DT Cinemas - DT City Centre and Mega Mall. Tickets would cost you around ₹150 on weekdays and as much as ₹200 on a big opening on weekends. Late shows too - last show starts around 11PM!

Kingdom of Dreams, behind leisure valley ,sec 29. cultural gully through which you can see every famous place located in India and Indian culture. It is currently showing Zangoora, a musical story of a prince and Jhumroo, a musical comedy.Prices range from ₹1500 till ₹6000.500 n 700.

PVR - Sahara Mall (2 Screens), Metropolitian Malls (9 Screens), Ambience Mall (9 Screens). Tickets would cost you around ₹140 on weekdays and around ₹175 on weekends. Good thing is that there are lot of late shows - the last show starts almost at 12 midnight

Other activities

Devi Art Foundation, Plot 39, Sector 44, Gurgaon 122002 (Behind Epicentre (Apparel House)). 11AM.- 7.00PM. The Devi Art Foundation is one of the first not-for-profit spaces dedicated to showcasing contemporary art from the Indian Subcontinent. It is envisioned as a space that will enable wider audiences to interact with cutting edge and experimental art works. The current exhibition, 'Where in the World' takes a look at the effects of globalization on contemporary Indian art and has 65 art-works by over 20 Indian artists. The Foundation is open to the public on all days except Monday, from 11AM - 7PM The exhibition is on until 3rd May, '09.Free entry.

Wet and wild resort - About 15 km away on the Jaipur highway, lookout for turn to left before Manesar. Chill down your summer heat, water games and sports are great fun. Don't forget to take you swim wear. Very affordable outing.

Shopping malls abound in Gurgaon, mostly along the central thoroughfare of Mehrauli-Gurgaon (MG) Road. The best way to get there is via private mini-buses from Gurgaon Bus-stand near Jain Temple and say "Mall". A one-way ticket costs ₹5.

Bikanerwala, Near Leisure Valley and in ILD Trade Centre, Great ambience and assortment of indian dishes like chole bhature , lassi , kulfi , dosa, chinese food, pizza . Indian cuisine is good, only vegetarian food is available. Try their Alphonso ice-cream in summers - a very exotically-packed ice-cream inside a mango!

Haldiram's. Sahara Mall GF/1F, MG Road,also at kherki Daula on NH-8. The local mega-outlet of the famous manufacturer of Indian sweets, but the emphasis here is on the fast food, especially their versions of Delhi chaat. Try the Raj Kachori, a crispy bowl filled with stuffing, yoghurt and spicy chutneys. All chaat are under ₹50, or you can get a full daily thali for ₹128. Vegetarian.

Om Sweets, Sector 14 and Sector 31 markets ,they also have outlets in sector-4 market, sector 23 market and sector 57's hongkong bazaar . Famous for sweets like dodha ,rasmalai, rasgulla etc. Gol gappa , jalebi ,kulfi and paneer tikka are some of the favourites . Indian cuisine is good, only vegetarian food is available .

Italiano, DLF Phase II,Nathupur.Decent pasta and pizzas though very limited Vegetarian options. Meals around ₹800-₹1000 for 2 people with a round of beer.

Khaaja Chowk!, MGF Plaza 3F, MG Road (near NH-8). Simultaneously retro and modern, you can choose to dine at glass tables or inside a pimped-out autorickshaw. The speciality here is Indian street food, and the Great Indian Chaat Platter (₹130) is worthy of the name. Veg and non-veg options, lunch sets around ₹150, in the evening around ₹200/head.

The MGF Metropolitan Mall - This mall has a decent air-con food court on the 3rd floor, where you can get a pretty good feed for around ₹100.

Sahib Sindh Sultan, Ambience Mall. Amazing North Indian food with an ambience of a train. Meals around ₹700-₹1000 for 2 people. Alcoholic drinks available

Wow! Italia, MGF Metropolitan 3F, MG Road, tel. +91 124-4018551. Decent pasta and excellent pizza made in a wood-fired oven. Around ₹200/₹300 for most 8"/13" pizzas (less for veg, more for seafood or ham). Free delivery for orders over ₹200.

Chor Bizarre. MGF Metropolitan FC 1-5, MG Road. The local branch of the acclaimed chain, serving up Kashmiri food in eclectic surrounding like a chor bazaar (thieves market). The buffet is laid out inside an old car! Figure on ₹300 for a full meal.

Grover's, SCO 28 Sector 31. Cool icecream parlour.

K2, MGF Plaza 3F, MG Road, tel. +91 124-4379151. The two K's stand for "Korea" and "Karaoke", the mainstays of this hip red-and-black Korean-run restaurant-lounge. Catering largely to Delhi's small Korean expat community, the food is authentic (they even have beef!) and fairly reasonably priced. ₹300-₹500.

Nazaare Pind De, SCO 28 Sector 31. Punjabi fine dining.

The Odyssey Restaurant & Nightclub, 3rd Floor, Sahara Mall, Gurgaon, MG Road, ☎+91 124-4048031. One of the most famous and classiest restaurants in India. Multi cuisine; Indian, Iranian, Chinese, Continental and Thai. Chefs were flown in from Iran and Thailand to make the food more authentic. Try their Chelo kebabs and Dahi kebabs. Their desserts are also to die for!

Oz, MGF Plaza 3F R-02, MG Road, ☎+91 124-5019528. Stylish Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant, oddly located on the top floor of a quiet furniture mall. The menu covers Arabic and Italian favorites, with fairly decent mezze (plate for two ₹400) and a select of grills and pastas. Bar-lounge with DJ for drinks afterward. ₹400.

Most of Gurgaon's nightlife spots are tucked away — where else? — on the top floors of malls.

Chinese and Thai Cafe, on the 1st floor of JMD plaza, opposite Sahara Mall. The destination for all you lovers of Rock Music. The best place in town for some head banging!

Komachi, 3rd floor, MGF Plaza mall, MG-Road, IFFCO-chowk, Gurgaon, Haryana, India, ☎+91 124-4261193. The Chefs there are hand picked and flown all the way from Japan to produce a very authentic, and fine japanese cuisine serving a wide range of japanese delicacies and drinks. Komachi is one of the highest rated Japanese restaurant in the guidebook which makes it the ideal place to eat, relax, and enjoy a evening or a lunch.

TGI Friday's, Metropolitan Mall, MG Road. Yes, it's just like every other TGI Friday's on the planet, but this is still a favorite way to start off an evening. Food is decent but expensive, so most stick to happy hour beers. Open noon to midnight.

Demand far outstrips supply in Gurgaon and prices are terribly inflated; it's hard to find any halfway decent bed for the night for under $200. If comparing prices in Gurgaon and Delhi, remember that Delhi hotels charge tax on the rack rate, while Haryana (Gurgaon) hotels don't.

Ginger Hotel - Manesar, A TATA Enterprise is in the industrial town of Manesar and offers quality accommodation at affordable pricing from ₹1900/night -Contact 0124 - 6763333

Nirvaanam Hotel - Gurgaon, An ADB Hotels Pvt Ltd enterprise is located on the NH-8 near Rajiv Chowk. It is perfectly located between the industrial hub and the commercial hub of Gurgaon and offers best in class services at affordable prices. from ₹1900/night -Contact 0124 - 2200190

Ibis Gurgaon, Block 1 Sector 53 Golf Course Rd, ☎+91 124-4755000. Opened in August 2008, this was the first Accor hotel in India, and Gurgaon's first reasonably priced Western hotel. Slick modern rooms, free wifi.₹4400.

Trident Gurgaon. Looking like a space-age cross between the Taj Mahal and a UFO cult, this supermodern hotel defies hyperbole and is head and shoulders above the competition. Two good restaurants and bar. If you can afford it, about the only negative is that there are no shopping or other facilities within walking distance. $400+.